Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical gospels and the second book of the New Testament. Written by Mark the Evangelist, it covers the years 26 to 33 AD, telling the ministry of Jesus from his baptism to his death, burial, and the discovery of the empty tomb.

Chapter 1
Mark began his writing with Isaiah's writing, saying "As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of hte Lord, make his paths straight...'" John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and the people of Judea and Jerusalem were baptized in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel's hair, an had a leather girdle around his waist, eating locusts and wild honey. He preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. When he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit escending upon him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased." The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea, and he told them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed him, and Jesus did the same to James and his brother John, calling them; they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. They then went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. One man asked what Jesus had to do with the locals, asking if they had come to destory him, but Jesus rebuked him and ahd the unclean spirit come out of him. They were all amazed, and Jesus became famous all across Galilee. Jesus immediately left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. He cured Simon's mother-in-law of her fever.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many deamons. In the morning, he rose and went to a lonely place, where he prayed, and he told his apostles to go on to the next towns that he may preach there also, for it was why he came out. He went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. He also cleansed a leper, and the lepper disobeyed Jesus' instructions to keep silent; Jesus was no longer able to openly enter a town, and was left out in the country.